Class 9 Student Killed, Seven Injured in Hostel Attack at Ballari School

A Class 9 student was killed and seven others were injured after a fellow student allegedly attacked them with an iron rod inside a school hostel in Ballari district of Karnataka late on Sunday, police said.

According to officials, the accused student—also a minor and currently on the run—allegedly assaulted hostel inmates at Gurukul International School following a minor dispute. The attacker is said to have used a metal bed rod during the assault.

Police said one student succumbed to severe injuries, while seven others sustained wounds in the attack. The injured students were rushed to Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) in Ballari for treatment, with some reported to be in serious condition.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the incident occurred after dinner when most students were asleep in the hostel. The accused allegedly struck several students with the iron rod and also attempted to attack the hostel warden before fleeing the premises.

While the school administration described the incident as an iron-rod assault, the victim’s family has disputed this account. They claimed the boy may have been stabbed with a knife and have questioned the school’s version of events.

The victim’s parents, devastated by the tragedy, have also alleged that the accused student might have been under the influence of drugs and held the school administration responsible for the incident. They questioned how such a violent attack could take place within the hostel premises without immediate intervention.

Police have launched a search operation to trace the accused and said further details would emerge as the investigation progresses.